Omaha daily bee., 1887-02-07
CROOKED INSURANCE CONCERN
The Monarch Failure at Des Moines Shows
Lack of Proper Supervision,
A BETTER SYSTEM NEEDED
The Wilson Succession in the United
States Senate Being Agitatcd-
The state Oratorical Contest
Other Iowa News.
The Monarch Insurance Failure.

called attention to the reckless, almost Grim
inal, manner in which it had been doing
business, but also to the lack of sufficient
state supervision and regulation. The in
surance interests of the state are now super
visCd through department of the auditors
office. The auditor has already much more
than he can well attend to, without being re-
Qured to take care of insurance matters.
But when they are added to his other work,
he has left very little time to give them the
attention they deserve, There is now
deputy in the auditors Office who looks after
the insurance business and he has a clerk or
two, to assist him, and that is all of an in
surance department that the state of Iowa
affords. With so little helpgranted him, and
so much other work on his hands, the state
auditor can give very little attention to the
details OF insurance matters, such as their
Importance now requires. 1t is estimated
that S1,900,0O0 are taken from Iowa
| annually by eastern fire insurance
companies and 100000 by eastern
| life insurance companies. Thus about
| S30OO,00O of Iowa money leaves the state
| every year for insurance purposes, and
| there is very little official supervision by the
| state to protect the interests of the people in
| this respect. But there is still more necessity
| for thorough inspection and regulation of
| home companies for ii can be assumed that
| the eastern companies doing business here
are under official regulation in their own
| states. But here are some millions of dollars
| collected by Iowa companies from Iowa peO-
| pie, and from the nature of things, the state
| authorities know very little about how the
business is conducted. 1t is not their fault
they do the best they can with the limited
time and help at their disposal. In view of
| thiS fact thnrn boS r m onpthnr a apifo-
ton for a separate insurance department, en-
tirely distinct from the auditors Office 1t is
proposed to have department with COM
| missioner at its head, who shall give his
| whole time to the inspection and regulation
| of insurance matters and then with all the
| help he needs, it is believed that the interests
of the people so far as they relate to insur-
ance matters, could be pretty well protected.
Fortunately, so far as Iowa companies are
concerned, they have generally been of good
character and legitimate practice. But once
| in while black sheep will appear in the
best regulated family and there
ought to be some competent author
ity to pass upon its ,,.1, merits and and put
| world. During the last two legislatures, at
tempts have been made to create separate
! department of insurance, and have almost
| succeeded, but some economical soul has
| raised the cry against the creation of more
Offices and the bills have been defeated
But it is quite probable that the next legisla-
ture will supply the long felt need and ere
| ate al insurance department. possibly con-
Meeting with it the banking interests that
| are now also under the charge of the state
auditor.
| HAwKEYE POLITICS.
| There are just two things in Iowa politics
that men are talking about now. Perhaps
| should say with more accuracy that republl-
| cans are talking about, for democrats don't
| take much interest in the discussions over
candidates. When the time comes they vote
| vote for their men as matter of coure, and
then let the matter drop until the next eiec-
ing lively interest in the preliminary
skirmish for nominations for United States
| senator and Judge of the supreme court
For the first position, Senator Wilson is of
| course the leading candidate to succeed him
| self. lie has served one term, has the wealth,
| leisure and ambition to serve another, and
| thinks he ought to have it, He has made
| good average record, hardly above the level
| OF mediocrlty, and yet comparatively free
| from mistakes. Many people think that he
| has received as much attention from the
| state as his services to the state merit, and so
| they are discussing the claims and qualilica-
| tons of some other men. There is quite a
| feeling in some localities in favor OF choos-
| ing an Old soldier to succeed Mr.. Wilson.
| Strangely enough, Iowa has never had a
| soldier in the senate, although it sent $4,000
soldiers to put down the rebellion. The re
| tirement OF so many union soldiers from the
| senate and the addition of so many eX-rebels
| suggests that the northwest, the stronghold
of repubicanism, should do its part in reduc.
ing the disparity. For this reason many who
| would support Wilson if a civilian is to be
! chosen, would prefer some other man, equally
| as strong as statesman, who has the added
| qualification of good war record. How
| ever the opposition to Wilson is not united
| or Orkani2ed, while his friends are making
| very thorough and complete canvass, and
will probably win. lie has the sinews of
| war, and II is expected that he will not be
| backward in helping to elect members of the
| laTiG lnturp who faVD his for thor
| term.
There is even more difference of opinion
regarding the supreme judgeship. Judge
| Adams. who many supposed would not be a
candidate for reelection, is in the field for
third term, and his old friends think he
| ought to be renominated. There are several
other good candidates, the leading ones being
Judge Lewis, of Cherokee county; Senator
Robinson, of Storm Lake; Judge Miracle, of
Webster City, and Judge Henderson, OF Mar
shalltown; All OF these men are from
| northern Iowa Its generally conceded that
the iudgeship should gOto that part of the state
| and by preference to northwestern Iowa, but
there are so many candidates and so little
| disposition to unite on any one that it may
be that some one from the southern part of
the state will step in and take the prize after
all. For it is a prize, the supreme judgeship
| having the longest term (SiX years., and the
largest salary OF any state officer.
| THE STATE CATEGORICAL CONTEST
The state oratOrlCal contest that was held
in this city the past week showed the usual
| amount OF flValry between the leading col
| leges of the state. The young orators and
their friends, several hundred strong, were
on hand, as full OF college politics as ever.
One college sent conteStng delegations,
quite after the fashion of grown up soldiers,
and the claims OF the rival factions were
heard and discussed with all the seriousness
and gravity that attach TO such proceedings
in national convention OF a great party,
The singular thing about the contest, how
ever, was the genera! sermonic air that per-
vaded 1t, There were about six sermons, one
eXhortaton and one Grafton. Consequently
the productions were about as light and airy
as an equal number of chunks of lead would
have been. 1t seems the strangest thing that
when young cOllegian is called upon to fur
niSh prize Grafton he Immediately strikes
for deep water, where neither he nor his plO-
ductiOn can keep within mile Of the sur
face. The young men on this occasion dis
cussed such subjects as "Pantheisln," the
duality of Human EXISTENCE" The Souls
Hermitage" " Worship" etc, etc. There was
| just one subject that was tangible, tO-wit:
"NapOleon at ST. Helena" Is it any wonder
that il took the first prize?
| BASE BALL MATTERS.
| The prospects Tor good base ball season
in Des MOines are very bright The team i
now composed of twelve men, all having 4
| laapna TapDTI buf Nyhn tl1nuh a